Compiled by: Abul-Barakaat Ust. Abdul-Ghanee Jum'ah [may Allaah preserve him on goodness]

Uploaded: Rabeeul'Awwal 18, 1439, (07 Dec, 2017)

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the noble Prophet Muhammad and his household and Companions all together.

To proceed:

A lot of people are ignorant of the gravity of evils and their levels and when they are to be corrected and how they should be corrected; and this has led to so many grater evils and turmoils in the world; For instance, the way you correct your younger brother is not the same way you correct your elder brother; the way you correct the masses is not the same way you correct the rulers if one is really interested in changing them positively. And that is why the prophet ( sallallahu alayhi wasallam) taught us how to relate with the rulers and how to advise them. The Prophet( sallallahu alayhi wasallam) says:

“ من أراد أن ينصح لذي سلطان فلا يبده علانية فليأخذ بيده وليخلُ به فإن قبل منه فذاك وإلا فقد أدى الذي عليه “

“Whoever wants to advice the one in authority, should not make it publicly; rather he should seclude himself with him and advice him; if he (the ruler) heeds, this is what is desired. However, if the reverse is the case, he has done his own part.” Recorded by Ibn Abi Aasim in his “ As-Sunnah “

Likewise al-Tirmidhi also recorded in his “As-Sunan” from Ziyad bn Kusaib who said:

“ كُنْتُ مَعَ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ تَحْتَ مِنْبَرِ ابْنِ عَامِرٍ وَهُوَ يَخْطُبُ وَعَلَيْهِ ثِيَابٌ رِقَاقٌ، فَقَالَ أَبُو بِلَالٍ : انْظُرُوا إِلَى أَمِيرِنَا يَلْبَسُ ثِيَابَ الْفُسَّاقِ. فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرَةَ : اسْكُتْ، سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ : " مَنْ أَهَانَ سُلْطَانَ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَهَانَهُ اللَّهُ “

(I was with Abu Bakrah ( a companion of the Prophet ) under the pulpit of Ibn ‘Aamir ( one of the governors) while he was delivering the khutbah clothed in light / transparent garment; so Abu Bilal said: “Look at our ameer clothed in the garb of the fussaaq ( the sinful ones)! So Abu Bakrah retorted,” Shut up! I had the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) say, “Whoever humiliates the sultan of Allah, Allah shall humiliate him.”

The hadith of Usaamah bn Zaid also corroborates this. Al-Imam Al-Bukhari recorded:

“ قِيلَ لِأُسَامَةَ : لَوْ أَتَيْتَ فُلَانًا فَكَلَّمْتَهُ. قَالَ : إِنَّكُمْ لَتُرَوْنَ أَنِّي لَا أُكَلِّمُهُ إِلَّا أُسْمِعُكُمْ، إِنِّي أُكَلِّمُهُ فِي السِّرِّ دُونَ أَنْ أَفْتَحَ بَابًا لَا أَكُونُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ فَتَحَهُ، وَلَا أَقُولُ لِرَجُلٍ أَنْ كَانَ عَلَيَّ أَمِيرًا : إِنَّهُ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ، بَعْدَ شَيْءٍ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. قَالُوا : وَمَا سَمِعْتَهُ يَقُولُ ؟ قَالَ : سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ : " يُجَاءُ بِالرَّجُلِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، فَيُلْقَى فِي النَّارِ، فَتَنْدَلِقُ أَقْتَابُهُ فِي النَّارِ، فَيَدُورُ كَمَا يَدُورُ الْحِمَارُ بِرَحَاهُ، فَيَجْتَمِعُ أَهْلُ النَّارِ عَلَيْهِ، فَيَقُولُونَ : أَيْ فُلَانُ، مَا شَأْنُكَ ؟ أَلَيْسَ كُنْتَ تَأْمُرُنَا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، وَتَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ؟ قَالَ : كُنْتُ آمُرُكُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَا آتِيهِ، وَأَنْهَاكُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَآتِيهِ "

“Somebody said to Usama ( bn Zaid) “ Will you go to so-and so ( i.e Uthman) and talk to him (regarding ruling the country)? He said, “ You see that I don’t talk to him. Really I talk to him secretly without opening the a gate of( affliction ), for neither do I want to be the first to open it(i.e rebellion), nor will I say to a man who is my ruler that he is the best of the people after I have heard something from the Messenger of Allah” . They said:” What have you heard him say”? He said “ I have heard him saying “ A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown in the Hell, so that his intestines will come out, and he will go around as a donkey goes around a millstone.The people of Fire will gather around him and say “ O so-and so ! what is wrong with you? Did n’t you use to order us to do good deeds? He will respond: “Yes, I used to order you to do good deeds, but I did not do them myself, and I used to forbid you to do bad deeds, yet I used to do them myself.”

Al-Bayhaqi also reported in his “Shu’ab al-Imaan” that Anas,( radiyallahu anhu) said,

“ نهانا كبراؤنا من أصحاب محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: لا تسبوا أمراءكم ولا تغشوهم، ولا تعصوهم، واتقوا الله واصبروا، فإن الأمر إلى قريب "

“Our elders from among Companions of Muhammad(sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said to us” Do not abuse your rulers and do not cheat them; and do not disobey them; fear Allah and be patient; for the matter is very close.”

Al-Imam Ahmad also recorded in his Musnad the hadith of Sa’eed bn Jumhan who said:

” أَتَيْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أَبِي أَوْفَى وَهُوَ مَحْجُوبُ الْبَصَرِ، فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ، قَالَ لِي : مَنْ أَنْتَ ؟ فَقُلْتُ : أَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ جُمْهَانَ. قَالَ : فَمَا فَعَلَ وَالِدُكَ ؟ قَالَ : قُلْتُ : قَتَلَتْهُ الْأَزَارِقَةُ. قَالَ : لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْأَزَارِقَةَ، لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْأَزَارِقَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُمْ كِلَابُ النَّارِ. قَالَ : قُلْتُ الْأَزَارِقَةُ وَحْدَهُمْ أَمِ الْخَوَارِجُ كُلُّهَا ؟ قَالَ : بَلَى الْخَوَارِجُ كُلُّهَا. قَالَ : قُلْتُ : فَإِنَّ السُّلْطَانَ يَظْلِمُ النَّاسَ وَيَفْعَلُ بِهِمْ. قَالَ : فَتَنَاوَلَ يَدِي فَغَمَزَهَا بِيَدِهِ غَمْزَةً شَدِيدَةً، ثُمَّ قَالَ : وَيْحَكَ يَا ابْنَ جُمْهَانَ، عَلَيْكَ بِالسَّوَادِ الْأَعْظَمِ، عَلَيْكَ بِالسَّوَادِ الْأَعْظَمِ، إِنْ كَانَ السُّلْطَانُ يَسْمَعُ مِنْكَ، فَأْتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ فَأَخْبِرْهُ بِمَا تَعْلَمُ، فَإِنْ قَبِلَ مِنْكَ وَإِلَّا فَدَعْهُ ؛ فَإِنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِأَعْلَمَ مِنْهُ.”

I went to Abdullah bn Abi Awfaa while he had gone blind; I said taslim to him; he said to me “ Who are you?” I replied “ I am Sa’eed bn Jumhan” He said, “ what has become of your father? “ I said “ The Azaariqah ( a group of the Khawarij) killed him. He said, “ May Allah curse the Azaariqah! May Allah curse Azaariqah! May Allah curse Azaariqah! The Prophet( Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) told us that they are dogs of Hell” I said, “ Azaariqah alone? or all the khawarij ? He said, “ All the khawarij “ I said “ But the ruler practises injustice too to the people ! he does so and so to them [the people] ! He said, so he held my ( Sa’eed’s ) hand and struck it with his hand seriously and then he said, “ Join the as-Sawad al-Azham ( i.e the Jamaa’h of the Companions) ! Join as-Sawaad al-,Azham! However, if the sultan gives you listening ear, go to him in his house and tell him what you know. If he takes from you then[ you have achieved] ; and if he doesn’t, then leave him alone ! you are not more learned than him “

From these narrations it would be clear that the sunnah is to advise and criticize the rulers in seclusion with them as this is the best jihad as said by the Prophet ( sallallahu alayhi wasallam) ; or one on one if this would not lead to a greater evil .

Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri( one of the Companions of the Prophet ( sallallahu alayhi wasallam) practise a very good example of this. Al-Bukhari recorded in his” As-Sahih”

“ قَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ : فَلَمْ يَزَلِ النَّاسُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَتَّى خَرَجْتُ مَعَ مَرْوَانَ، وَهُوَ أَمِيرُ الْمَدِينَةِ، فِي أَضْحًى أَوْ فِطْرٍ، فَلَمَّا أَتَيْنَا الْمُصَلَّى إِذَا مِنْبَرٌ بَنَاهُ كَثِيرُ بْنُ الصَّلْتِ، فَإِذَا مَرْوَانُ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَرْتَقِيَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ، فَجَبَذْتُ بِثَوْبِهِ فَجَبَذَنِي فَارْتَفَعَ فَخَطَبَ قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ : غَيَّرْتُمْ وَاللَّهِ. فَقَالَ : أَبَا سَعِيدٍ، قَدْ ذَهَبَ مَا تَعْلَمُ. فَقُلْتُ : مَا أَعْلَمُ وَاللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا لَا أَعْلَمُ. فَقَالَ : إِنَّ النَّاسَ لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَجْلِسُونَ لَنَا بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ فَجَعَلْتُهَا قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ.”

The People continued to be on that ( i.e observing salaah before the khutbah on the day of ‘eid) until I came out together with Marwan ( one of the rulers) who was the amir of Madinah in Ad-haa or Fitr; so when we got to the musallaa, a minbar had been built there by Kathir bn as-Salt ( This is contrary to the Sunnah) Suddenly Marwan wanted to mount it before the Salaah ( This is also contrary to the Sunnah). So I pulled him by his and he pushed me away; he mounted the minbar; he delivered the sermon before the salaah. I said to him, “ You have changed[ the Sunnah] by Allah! He ( Marwan)replied, “ O Abu Sa’eed! What you know is gone ( i.e not practicable now)” I said, “ What I know is better than what I do not “ He( Marwan) said, “ The people would not sit to listen to us after sallah; so I put it before salaah.”

From these narrations one would know the methodology of the Pious Predecessors in advising, criticizing and relating with the rulers. The Salaf would not engage the masses in inciting speeches against the authorities. Yes, this does not mean you can not warn against the evils in the society but not by attacking the the rulers. Someone may argue that some scholars did attack the rulers publicly. The response to that is that actions of scholars are not evidences in themselves.Evidences are the Quran, Sunnah and the understanding and practices of as-Salaf as-Salih and not mistakes of some individual scholars some of whom have recanted their positions when they saw the aathar of the Salaf.

Conclusively, I would like to end this write-up with a quotation from Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah in his book “I’laam al-Muwaqq’een.” He says:

“Correcting the Evil and its Conditions Example one: The Prophet ( Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) legislated for his Ummah the obligation of correcting the evil in order to achieve by that, what Allah and his prophet love of good. So when correcting an evil entails the[ occurrence] of something worse and something more hateful to Allah and his Messenger, then it is not permissible to correct it, although Allah hates it and also hates its people [ i.e its perpetrators]. Example of this is correcting the [mistakes] of the kings and the rulers by doing khuruj on them; this is the genesis of every evil and turmoil till the end of the time. The Companions once sought the approval of the Messenger of Allah concerning the umaraa(rulers) that would be delaying salah that they should fight them; so they said: ( Can n’t we fight them?” He said: “ No, as long as they observe salah” He also said: “ Whoever sees in his ameer what he detests, he should be patient; he should not go out of his obedience outrightly”

Hence, whoever ponders critically on what has happened to Islam of major and minor turmoils, would see that it is as a result of neglecting this principle and inpatient attitude on an evil [seen]; so they wanted to correct it and something worse was born out of this. The Messenger of Allah( sallahu alayhi wasallam) had seen the worst of evil while in Makkah but he could not correct it; even when Allah conquered Makkah for them and it[ Makkah] became the land of Islam, he determined to alter the structure of the House and return it to the foundations of Ibrahim; however, he was prevented from doing that -despite his ability to do so- by the fear of something worse happening,in that the Quraish might not be able to tolerate that as they had just embraced Islam.So this is the reason he(the Prophet )did not allow correcting the rulers with the hand because of what could result from this; and this actually happened Correcting evil has four levels.

First: for it[ the evil] to be removed and the opposit[ i.e good] takes its place.

Second:for it to reduce though it is not completely removed.

Third: for it to be replaced by something similar.

Fourth: for it to be replaced by something worse.

The first two levels are recommended; while the third level is subject to ijtihad. As for the fourth one it is prohibited. So when you see the people of fujoor and fusooq (i.e the sinful ones) playing chess, it is not of good understanding and insightfulness to correct them unless you are able to invite them to what is pleasing to Allah and his Messenger such as throwing of the crossbow, horse- racing and things that are similar. When you that the fussaaq have gathered to play and listen to whistling/singing, if you are able to move them to the obedience of Allah, this is what is intended; otherwise leaving them with that is better than driving them to where they would commit something worse. This that they are engaged in is a kind of hindrance to them from doing that[ i.e the more evil] Likewise if a man is busy with books promoting impudence and shamelessness and similar things, and you are afraid that if you try to move him away from them he would resort to the books of innovations, it is better you leave him with his first books.And this is a very wide chapter.